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Maksim Chmerkovskiy
| died= | hometown= Odessa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union | partner= 2: Tia Carrere (6th) 3: Willa Ford (7th) 4: Laila Ali (3rd) 5: Mel B (2nd) 7: Misty May-Treanor (10th) 8: Denise Richards (12th) 9: Debi Mazar (12th) 10: Erin Andrews (3rd) 11: Brandy Norwood (4th) 12: Kirstie Alley (2nd) 13: Hope Solo (4th) 14: Melissa Gilbert (5th) All-Stars: Kirstie Alley (7th) 18: Meryl Davis (1st) 23: Amber Rose (TBA) }} Maksim "Maks" Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy is a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars. Biography Retrieved from abc.com "The Bad Boy of the Ballroom" joined the show in Season 2, competing with partner Tia Carrere. We fell for Maks instantly. Known for his bold moves and even bolder mouth, he's the one we love to hate and hate to love. Maks has come close to getting that shiny disco ball four times. He made it to the finals with boxing champ Laila Ali in Season 4, finished in second place in Season 5 with Mel B, in season 10 a close third with Erin Andrews and ended in second place with Kirstie Alley in season 12. So close! Ladies love to look at Maks. "I know my assets so I don't have a problem opening my shirt," the dancer says. "I notice women looking at my chest all the time. If you want to look at my chest, go ahead." Don't mind if we do! Maks is a big part of the DWTS family. He toured in the national production and is part of the DWTS: Cardio Dance DVD. He starred on ABC's sports competition show The Superstars and played himself in an episode of All My Children. Outside of DWTS, Maks choreographed for famed director Franco Dragone's Le Reve, and performed in the Broadway show Burn the Floor. Currently a board member for the non-profit organization DanceTeamUSA, Maks is dedicated to inspiring American kids to get involved in DanceSport. He started the Rising Stars Dance Academy, which is the premier youth ballroom dance school in the United States. He also organizes performances all over the world through his company Maksim Chmerkovskiy Productions. Early life Chmerkovskiy was born January 17, 1980, in Odessa, Ukrainian SSR to parents Aleksandr "Sasha" Chmerkovskiy and Larisa Chmerkovskaya. He began dancing at age 4. He has a younger brother, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, who is also a professional dancer. His father is Jewish and his mother is Christian, and he has described himself as Jewish. At age 13, he broke his right leg in a skiing accident and had a titanium rod put in to stabilize his leg. Doctors foresaw long-term difficulties and little possibility of a dancing career; however, he recovered and was dancing again six months later. He eventually became a professional Latin Ballroom dancer, with the details of the recovery from the accident presented on a 2010 episode of the television show Celebrity Ghost Stories. The family immigrated to Brooklyn, New York in 1994. The challenges of immigration for Chmerkovskiy and his family included financial and language barriers. Chmerkovskiy's Ukrainian ancestry and cultural heritage were referred to on an episode of Dancing with the Stars. Career Competitive Dancing As a dancer, Chmerkovskiy competed as under the professional level in the International Latin category. With partner Elena Grinenko, with whom Chmerkovskiy competed with from 2002-2005, Chmerkovskiy achieved the rank of 2nd in the United States and 7th in the world among professional international Latin couples. Opening Dance Studios At age 16, Chmerkovskiy and his father opened a youth-oriented competitive dance studio, Rising Stars Dance Academy, on the second floor of a building his father owned in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Chmerkovskiy said he chose New Jersey because there was a plethora of dance studios that he disliked already established in Brooklyn. The studio relocated a few times until it ended up in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. He said in 2011 of choosing a New Jersey location, "I didn't want to open a studio that would become just one of the studios in the area. I wanted to open my studio somewhere where there was nothing like it and where people would look at it with no preconceived notions. In 2001, Chmerkovskiy had his first major success as an instructor when he helped his brother, Valentin, then 16, and Diana Olonetskaya, 15 -- became the first U.S. dance pair to win a world junior championship. Chmerkovskiy also taught Serge Onik, a dancer who appeared on the eleventh season of So You Think You Can Dance in 2014, where Onik was eliminated just outside the top 10. In addition to Rising Stars, Chmerkovskiy owns six social and competitive dance studios under the brand "Dance With Me. Five are in the New York metropolitan area (Glen Rock and Fort Lee in New Jersey, Glen Head, Long Island, SoHo, Manhattan and Stamford, Connecticut) and one is in Sherman Oaks, California. ''Dancing with the Stars'' Chmerkovskiy first appeared in the second season of the ABC series Dancing with the Stars partnered with actress Tia Carrere. They finished in sixth place. The following season, he and partner singer Willa Ford came in seventh place. Chmerkovskiy returned to Dancing with the Stars in March 2007 for Season 4, his time partnered with boxer Laila Ali. They made it to the finals and finished in third place. In Season 5 of Dancing with the Stars, he was partnered with Mel B and the couple received second place. Chmerkovskiy did not participate in Season 6, although he and former partner Melanie Brown made an appearance for the 100th episode. He returned for the show's seventh season, this time paired with two-time Olympic volleyball gold medalist, Misty May-Treanor. Chmerkovskiy and May-Treanor were forced to withdraw from the competition in Week 3. During a practice for their jive, May-Treanor ruptured her Achilles tendon and required surgery. Her withdrawal gave them a finish in 10th place. On February 9, 2009, Good Morning America announced that he would be paired with Denise Richards for the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars. They were eliminated second in the competition, giving the pair a finish of 12th place. In the ninth season, he was paired with actress Debi Mazar, during which they were eliminated fourth. In season 10, Chmerkovskiy, returning for his eighth season, was partnered with Erin Andrews. They ended up coming in third place during the two-hour finale on May 25, 2010. For season 11, Chmerkovskiy partnered with singer and actress, Brandy. They made it to the semi-finals but were eliminated with a fourth-place finish. For season 12, he was paired with actress Kirstie Alley. On week 3, his leg gave out causing her to fall heavily on him, earning 21 points (out of 30). The next week, Alley's shoe fell off during their routine. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba called Alley The Queen of the Unexpected Mishap; they earned 22 points. They made it to the finals and finished in second place. For season 13, he was partnered with Hope Solo and they finished in fourth place. In Solo's book, A Memoir of Hope, she wrote that Chmerkovskiy treated her roughly, once slapping her during a rehearsal. Solo's claims were never corroborated. For season 14, he was partnered with actress Melissa Gilbert. In week 4, while performing the paso doble, Gilbert hit her head on the dance floor and suffered a mild concussion. She was rushed to the hospital and was unable to be at the results show the following night. The couple was called safe. Chmerkovskiy also suffered an injury, pulling a muscle in his shoulder. The couple was eliminated four weeks later, finishing in fifth place, making this the fourth time that he was eliminated after dancing a samba. For season 15, an All-Stars season, Maksim returned to the dance floor with previous partner, Kirstie Alley. In week 1, they received the second-lowest score, 19. In week 3, Alley and Chmerkovskiy danced a Cha-Cha-Cha, they scored 17 . Alley and Chmerkovskiy earned 24. They picked a Disco for Sabrina Bryan and Louis Van Amstel to dance next week, and Bryan and Amstel chose the Charleston for Alley and Chmerkovskiy. For the dance, the couple fell to the bottom of the leaderboard with 30 out of a possible 40. Alley and Chmerkovskiy, season 3 champion Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke, and season 1 champion Kelly Monaco and Valentin Chmerkovskiy were all joined in the Gangnam Style freestyle team by season 8 runner-up Gilles Marini and Peta Murgatroyd. Alley and Chmerkovskiy along with the other members received 27 out of 30, making their grand total 52.5 out of a possible 60. Then Alley and Chmerkovskiy, in the group country-western, gained two bonus points. Season 4 champion Apolo Anton Ohno and Karina Smirnoff chose a Quickstep-Samba fusion for Alley and Chmerkovskiy. The couple scored 24 out of a possible 30. For the swing marathon, they were eliminated first, making their total 28 out of 40. For the next week, Tristan MacManus joined the couple in their trio Paso Doble, but the couple received 79 out of a possible 100, leaving them 11.5 points behind at the bottom of the leaderboard, and they were eliminated. Also eliminated were Marini and Murgatroyd, who would have danced a "Mad Monk" Merengue, chosen by Ohno and Smirnoff, had they not been, finishing in 7th and 6th respectively. In February 2013, Chmerkovskiy announced his departure from Dancing with the Stars for Season 16. Chmerkovskiy returned on the fifth week of Season 16 for "Len's Side-By-Side Challenge", where he danced with Anna Trebunskaya in an Argentine Tango with brother Val and his partner Zendaya and in a Jive with Jacoby Jones and his partner Karina Smirnoff. For season 17, he was a guest judge during the semifinals in Week 10. On February 27, 2014, reports surfaced that after taking two seasons off, Chmerkovskiy would return for season 18. For season 18, he was paired with Olympic ice dancer Meryl Davis. They were announced the winners on May 20, 2014, marking Chmerkovskiy's first win. They also have the current highest average of any dancer of the show with a 28.4 average, and are tied with Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough as well as Rumer Willis and his brother Val with the most amount of perfect scores earning a total of 6. This record was broken by Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough in season 21. Following his win with Davis, Chmerkovskiy announced he was retiring from DWTS after 14 seasons on the show. He intends to expand his chain of dance studios and is studying acting. Chmerkovskiy returned to the ballroom as a guest judge during Week 5 of Season 21. Achievements *2005 Yankee Classic Professional Latin Champion *2004 Manhattan Dancesport Professional Latin Champion *2003 Ohio Star Ball Latin Champion *Ranked 2nd in the US Theater His professional work includes choreographing for the Wynn Las Vegas's water-based show Le Rêve. By 2008, Chmerkovskiy's contribution to Le Rêve included choreographing three numbers: “Tango”, “Paso Doble” and “Piece Montèe”. In 2014 Chmerkovskiy returned to Le Rêve to choreograph for a new scene as part of a $3 million upgrade to the production. Chmerkovskiy choreographed and performed in the Dancing with the Stars Tour 2008-2009 winter tour. The tour kicked off on December 17, 2008 and was scheduled to stop in 34 cities. In the summer of 2014, Chmerkovskiy appeared in multiple performances of the touring dance show "Ballroom with a Twist." 2014 was also the year when Chmerkovskiy started performing in Sway: A Dance Trilogy in Westbury, New York. Chmerkovskiy credits his father Sasha with the idea for Sway. Sway is a live ballroom dance show starring Maksim, his brother Valentin, and Tony Dovolani. The show also features other professional dancers from Dancing with the Stars, So You think You Can Dance, and dance instructors from Chmerkovskiy's Dance with Me studios. A few celebrities from Dancing with the Stars have appeared in the production as well. Sway is primarily broken into three distinct sections: a smooth, 40's nightclub inspired section featuring Dovolani, an urban and hip-hop influenced section featuring Val, and finally a more Latin and Miami oriented section featuring Maksim. Broadway Chmerkovskiy was a dancer in the Broadway production Burn the Floor when it opened on July 25, 2009. Chmerkovskiy was partnered with Karina Smirnoff for the first three weeks of the show's Broadway run, leaving to return to Dancing with the Stars. The pair learned their choreography for the production in just two days. Chmerkovskiy returned to Burn the Floor in November 2009 through January 2010, this time he partnered with Kym Johnson. From July 9 to August 18, 2013, he starred in "Forever Tango", a Broadway musical, dancing and performing onstage with former dance colleague Karina Smirnoff. Other activities In 2009, he participated in the ABC sport show called "The Superstars" and was paired with Kristi Leskinen (Freestyle Skier). They won the competition. In 2011, Chmerkovskiy starred as "The Bachelor" in the Ukrainian version of the dating reality series. He later told a Ukrainian newspaper that he regretted doing the show, saying, "This kind of project is not for me." As of 2012, he hosts the Ukrainian version of the game show The Cube. Chmerkovskiy along with Tony Dovolani and Valentin Chmerkovskiy opened Dance with Me Studio in Stamford, CT on April 16, 2012. The Stamford location is the fourth in the chain and the first in Connecticut started by Chmerkovskiy, Tony Dovolani, Valentin Chmerkovskiy and their partners. The other studios are in Ridgefield, N.J., Long Island, N.Y., and Soho, N.Y. Chmerkovskiy appeared on three episodes of General Hospital in March 2013 playing the role of Anton Ivanov, who dances with Kelly Monaco's character Sam Morgan during the Nurses' Ball. On January 28, 2014, he appeared in a music video with country musician Stacy Burk. The video was shot at the JMJ Ranch in Thousand Oaks, California, and directed by Dave West.52 Also in 2014, he appeared as a judge on "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa", the Indian version of Dancing with the Stars.53 Chmerkovskiy is one of the creators and directors of Dance Team USA, a nonprofit educational and charitable organization dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and training future DanceSport participants. Personal life Chmerkovskiy primarily lives in Fort Lee, New Jersey. He was engaged to his DWTS costar Karina Smirnoff, a fellow Ukrainian native, in 2009. He later dated another DWTS costar, Peta Murgatroyd, but the relationship ended in 2013 after 10 months. He was also in a "serious" relationship with model Kate Upton. In 2015, Chmerkovskiy confirmed he was once again dating Peta Murgatroyd. Murgatroyd also publicly confirmed the couple's reunion telling Radar Online, "is the most generous man I have ever met and I’m very happy." Chmerkovskiy and Murgatroyd became engaged on December 5, 2015, when he proposed while onstage for a performance of Sway: A Dance Trilogy in Miami, Florida. Chmerkovskiy's native language is Russian, but he can understand a little Ukrainian. Chmerkovskiy did not speak English when he moved to the United States. He says he learned English from reading street signs in Brooklyn. Dancing with the Stars 2 Maksim was partnered with Tia Carrere. Placed 6th. Scores Dancing with the Stars 3 Maksim was partnered with Willa Ford. Placed 7th. Scores Dancing with the Stars 4 Maksim was partnered with Laila Ali. Placed 3rd. Scores Dancing with the Stars 5 Maksim was partnered with Mel B. Placed 2nd. Scores Dancing with the Stars 7 Maksim was partnered with Misty May-Trainor. Placed 10th. Scores Dancing with the Stars 8 Maksim was partnered with Denise Richards. Placed 12th. Scores Dancing with the Stars 9 Maksim was partnered with Debi Mazar. Placed 12th. Scores 1Score given by stand in judge Baz Luhrmann. Dancing with the Stars 10 Maksim was partnered with Erin Andrews. Placed 3rd. Scores Dancing with the Stars 11 Maksim was partnered with Brandy Norwood. Placed 4th. Scores Dancing with the Stars 12 Maksim was partnered with Kirstie Alley. Placed 2nd. Scores Dancing with the Stars 13 Maksim was partnered with Hope Solo. Placed 4th. Scores Dancing with the Stars 14 Maksim was partnered with Melissa Gilbert. Placed 5th. Scores Dancing with the Stars 15 Maksim was partnered with previous partner, Kirstie Alley. Placed 7th. Scores 1Score given by guest judge Paula Abdul. Dancing with the Stars 18 Maksim was partnered with Meryl Davis. Placed 1st. Scores 1Score given by guest judge Robin Roberts. 2For this week only, as part of the "Partner Switch-Up" week, Chmerkovskiy performed with Danica McKellar instead of Meryl Davis. 3Score given by guest judge Julianne Hough. 4Score given by guest judge Donny Osmond. 5Score given by guest judge Redfoo. 6Score given by guest judge Ricky Martin. 7Score given by guest judge Abby Lee Miller. 8Score given by guest judge Kenny Ortega. Dancing with the Stars 23 Maks was partnered with Amber Rose. Placed TBA. Scores Trivia *Maksim is the older brother of fellow professional dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy. *He was dating fellow professional dancer Peta Murgatroyd in 2012, but they broke up in 2013. **As of 2015, they are back together. **On December 5, 2015 they got engaged when he proposed while onstage for a performance of Sway: A Dance Trilogy in Miami, Florida. **On June 29, 2016, they announced that they are expecting their first child. **On August 9, 2016, they revealed they are having a boy. *He dated SI swimsuit model Kate Upton. *He was engaged to fellow professional dancer Karina Smirnoff. *He is good friends with fellow professional dancer Tony Dovolani. *In 2011, he starred in the Ukranian version of The Bachelor. He later said he regretted doing the show. *Maksim's native language is Russian, but he can understand a little Ukrainian. Gallery Tia and Maks S2.jpg Tia-Carrere-Promo.jpg Willa and Maks S3.jpg Willa and Maks S3 1.jpg Laila & Maks S4.PNG Mel B and Maks S5.PNG Denise and Maks S8.jpg Debi and Maks S9.jpg Erin and Maks S10.jpg Erin-maks-samba.jpg Erin and Maks S10 Week 7 Quickstep 1.jpg Erin and Maks S10 Week 7 Quickstep 2.jpg Erin and Maks S10 Week 7 Quickstep 3.jpg Brandy and Maks S11.jpg Brandy and Maks S11 1.jpg Maks Chmerkovskiy S11.jpg Kristie and Maks S12.jpg Kristie and Maks S12 1.jpg Hope and Maks S13.jpg Maksim c.jpg Mellisa and Maks S14.jpg Maks Chmerkovskiy S14.jpg Kristie and Maks S15.jpg Maks Chmerkovskiy S15.jpg Meryl-davis-maks-chmerkovskiy-DWTS.jpg Maks Chmerkovskiy S18.jpg Snooki-DWTS-Season-18-meryl-davis-maksim-chmerkovskiy-win-mirror-ball-trophy-600x600.jpg Peta_Maks_Engaged.jpeg PetaMaksPregnant.jpg Maks-Promo23.jpg Amber-Maks-Promo23.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_1.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_1_Foxtrot_1.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_1_Foxtrot_2.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_1_Foxtrot_3.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_1_Foxtrot_4.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_1_Foxtrot_5.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_1_Foxtrot_6.jpg Amber and Maks S23 Week 1 1.jpg Amber and Maks S23 Week 1 2.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_2_Viennese_1.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_2_Viennese_2.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_2_Viennese_3.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_2_Viennese_4.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_2_1.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_2_2.jpg Pro Number S23 Week 2 Results 1.jpg Pro Number S23 Week 2 Results 2.jpg Pro Number S23 Week 2 Results 3.jpg Pro Number S23 Week 2 Results 4.jpg Pro Number S23 Week 2 Results 9.jpg Pro Number S23 Week 2 Results 10.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_3_Salsa_1.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_3_Salsa_2.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_3_Salsa_3.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_3_Salsa_4.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_3_Salsa_5.jpg Amber,_Maks,_Maureen_and_Artem_S23_Week_3.jpg Amber,_Maks,_Maureen_and_Artem_S23_Week_3_1.jpg Amber,_Maks,_Maureen_and_Artem_S23_Week_3_2.jpg Amber,_Maks,_Maureen_and_Artem_S23_Week_3_3.jpg Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_3.jpg Babyface,_Ryan,_Rick,_Amber_and_Maks_S23_Week_3_Result_1.jpg Amber,_Maks,_Marilu_and_Derek_S23_Week_3_Result_1.jpg :Amber,_Maks,_Marilu_and_Derek_S23_Week_3_Result_2.jpg Amber,_Maks,_Marilu_and_Derek_S23_Week_3_Result_3.jpg Amber,_Maks,_Marilu_and_Derek_S23_Week_3_Result_4.jpg Amber,_Maks,_Rick,_Emma,_Terra_and_Sasha_S23_Week_3_Result_1.jpg Amber,_Maks,_Rick,_Emma,_Terra_and_Sasha_S23_Week_3_Result_2.jpg Amber,_Maks,_Rick_and_Emma_S23_Week_3_Result_1.jpg Amber,_Maks,_Rick_and_Emma_S23_Week_3_Result_2.jpg Amber,_Maks,_Rick_and_Emma_S23_Week_3_Result_3.jpg Amber,_Maks,_Rick_and_Emma_S23_Week_3_Result_4.jpg Maks and Val Show S23 Week 3 Results 1.jpg Maks and Val Show S23 Week 3 Results 2.jpg Maks and Val Show S23 Week 3 Results 3.jpg Maks and Val Show S23 Week 3 Results 4.jpg Maks and Val Show S23 Week 3 Results 5.jpg Maks and Val Show S23 Week 3 Results 6.jpg Val and Maks Number S23 Week 3 Results 1.jpg Val and Maks Number S23 Week 3 Results 2.jpg Val and Maks Number S23 Week 3 Results 4.jpg Val and Maks Number S23 Week 3 Results 5.jpg Val and Maks Number S23 Week 3 Results 6.jpg Val and Maks Number S23 Week 3 Results 7.jpg Val and Maks Number S23 Week 3 Results 8.jpg Val and Maks S23 Week 3 Results 1.jpg Val and Maks S23 Week 3 Results 2.jpg Category:Males Category:Professionals